Quarterback Brett Hundley was under heavy pressure in the Holiday Bowl against Baylor, but his return in 2013 is one of many reasons for Bruins fans' optimism. PAUL BERSEBACH, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SAN DIEGO – Brett Hundley sat solemnly at the podium after UCLA's Holiday Bowl blowout at the hands of Baylor and tried to heap the blame on his own shoulders.

He said he could've gotten the ball out of his hands quicker, that he could've done better at putting the ball where it needed to be. But after six sacks, no one was blaming Hundley for the Bruins' brutal effort in the 49-26 loss in San Diego on Thursday night.

Instead, all eyes and blame were on UCLA's offensive line — a patchwork unit that allowed the Bears to get to Hundley all night long and couldn't open any holes for running back Johnathan Franklin. That kind of defensive penetration has become a habit this season for a unit that allowed 52 sacks — second-most in the nation.

Granted, two starting offensive linemen — Torian White and Jake Brendel — left the Holiday Bowl early because of injuries. But the struggles of the Bruins' offensive front were perhaps the clearest sign of the distance UCLA still has to go in order to become one of the nation's elite teams.

"It was difficult," senior lineman Jeff Baca said. "Once you're down two starting offensive linemen, defenses start bringing some pressure, and we were down 14, it was a little bit of an uphill battle. ... One starting lineman is a lot to get hurt in a game. You throw two in there, that throws it off a little bit. But no excuses. You have to step in and fill in."

Like at many other key positions, there will be plenty of chances to fill in on the Bruins offensive line next season — a group that will return four starters, but also will bring in arguably the best class of offensive line recruits in the country. There will no doubt be some changes, with rising junior Xavier Su'a-Filo as the only definite carryover.

Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm expressed a few weeks ago how much that competition could help the Bruins' line grow up fast. That uncertainty could be a motivator for the rest of the team as well, as plenty of spots will open up as key contributors Franklin, tight end Joe Fauria, defensive lineman Datone Jones and three quarters of the Bruins' secondary all graduate.

It's easy to forget, with the expectations rapidly growing for UCLA, that Jim Mora has just passed the one-year mark as Bruins coach. So with another offseason and one of the conference's best recruiting classes, there's reason to believe that a little change won't hurt UCLA much in 2013.

But with the way the team finished this season, there certainly will be questions to be answered.

BARR MUM ON DRAFT

Linebacker Anthony Barr would likely be a first- or, at worst, second-round pick, according to many NFL scouts, if he were to enter this year's draft. So far, however, Barr has expressed an interest in staying in Westwood for his senior season.

Barr said several weeks ago that he was "leaning" toward finishing out his UCLA career, and nothing had changed on that front in the locker room after the Holiday Bowl.

"I'm still in the same place I was two weeks ago," Barr said. "When I know, you all will know, I promise."

Barr said he had not received his draft grade yet, and would make no decision until he did.

DRAFT PLANS

Many of UCLA's seniors talked about their plans in the coming months to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine and next spring's draft.

Cornerback Aaron Hester said he would work out in Arizona to prepare for the Combine and also planned to play in the East-West Shrine game, along with Baca. Baca has yet to receive a Combine invite.

Defensive lineman Jones, who is expected to be the highest-drafted Bruin if Barr doesn't declare, will begin his preparation for the Senior Bowl in a couple of days. With a good performance, Jones could be considered a potential second-round pick, likely as a 3-4 defensive end.

UCLA SEASON IN REVIEW

Strengths: With a full offseason to hone his craft, sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley could establish himself as the Pac-12's best passer next season. The Bruins won't have senior running back Johnathan Franklin to lean on anymore, so the passing game will be especially critical, and with so much talent on that side of the ball, it could be a potentially prolific unit through the air. Defensively, the Bruins will get back the majority of their impressive linebacking corps, pending Anthony Barr's decision on the draft. A full offseason for him could allow him the necessary time to emerge as one of the nation's best defensive playmakers.

Question marks: The post-Franklin era will commence and it's quite unclear who the Bruins will be handing the ball off to when the season begins again in August. Damien Thigpen would've been the natural choice, but an ACL injury will keep him out until August at the earliest. Behind him, it could be anyone from Paul Perkins to Steven Manfro to incoming freshman Craig Lee. Who will be blocking for UCLA's primary ballcarrier could be another interesting storyline. The Bruins have seven offensive linemen — all rated quite well — committed in 2013. That should help with depth and make the competition pretty fierce up front. As for its situation on the other side of the ball, UCLA loses three-quarters of its secondary and will be in desperate need of players to emerge at those spots.

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